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Lean on Me

The Beatles may no longer be turning out hits, but more people
than ever are singing, "Help. I need somebody."

An estimated 25 million people will participate in self-help
groups at some time during the course of their lives, according to
a study conducted by researchers at the University of Texas at
Austin. With the advent of the Internet and online support groups,
that number is expected to rise, as a growing network of support
becomes available for the masses of individuals who find in-person
groups physically problematic or emotionally uncomfortable.

Today, about 3 percent to 4 percent of the U.S. population, or
between 8 million and 11 million people, participate in self-help
groups each year. The average age of a self-help group member is 43
and, perhaps surprisingly, is more likely to be male - 3.6 percent
of men are attendees compared with 2.4 percent of women. Whites are
three times as likely to participate as blacks.

The study, published earlier this year in the American
Psychologist, the journal of the American Psychological
Association, examined both online and offline support group
participation for sufferers of 20 illnesses. They found that those
diagnosed with alcoholism, cancer (all types), diabetes, AIDS,
depression, and chronic fatigue syndrome are the most likely to
join a support group. The least likely to seek support, are
sufferers of ulcers, emphysema, chronic pain, and migraines, in
that order.

Looking solely at the offline world, researchers found that
alcoholics are the most likely of all illness-sufferers to seek out
in-person contact - they are 293 times more likely than
hypertension and migraine patients (who are the least likely) to do
so. AIDS, anorexia, and breast cancer patients also rank high for
face-to-face participation.

When it comes to cyber support, however, multiple sclerosis
patients have the highest activity level. The virtual world is also
popular among those suffering from chronic fatigue syndrome, breast
cancer, and anorexia.

"The online domain may be particularly useful in bringing
together those who suffer from rare and debilitating conditions, in
which getting together physically would present a number of
practical barriers," says Kathryn Davison, one of the report's
authors. "Virtual support can be very attractive to those whose
disability impairs mobility, and the online community allows for
anonymity."

As a general rule, the study reports, conditions described as
embarrassing, socially stigmatizing, and disfiguring are associated
with increased participation in all kinds of social support. In
fact, embarrassment around discussion of one's illness was found to
be the number one reason people seek help.

For more information, on "Who Talks? The Social Psychology of
Illness Support Groups," call the American Psychological
Association at (202) 336-5706.